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Jimmy Williams
Vice President Kamala Harris publicly criticized former President Donald Trump on Saturday over an incident at Arlington National Cemetery, accusing him of using a sacred space for a political stunt.
Harris expressed her disapproval in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that Trump “disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”
In her statement, Harris emphasized the importance of treating veterans, service members, and their families with honor and respect. “If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude,” she said. The vice president also added a direct rebuke of Trump’s leadership, stating that he should “never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.”
The incident in question took place in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, a solemn area where many soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. According to a statement by the U.S. Army, a member of Trump’s campaign staff allegedly “abruptly pushed aside” a cemetery staff member to allow Trump and his team to film with families of service members who lost their lives during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. This section of the cemetery typically prohibits the use of videos and photography.
Trump defended his actions during an interview with NBC News, claiming that he was only fulfilling a request made by one of the families present. “A family asked me whether or not I would stand for a picture at the grave of their loved one who should not have died,” Trump explained. He denied orchestrating the photo opportunity himself, saying, “While I was there, I didn’t ask for a picture. While I was there, they said, ‘Sir, could we have a picture at the grave?’”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, responded to Harris’ condemnation on X, accusing the Biden administration of incompetence that led to unnecessary military deaths. “President Trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence,” Vance wrote. “Why don’t you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths?”
Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt also blasted Harris in a post, shifting blame for the soldiers’ deaths during the Afghanistan withdrawal to Harris and President Joe Biden. “Kamala’s stupidity led to one of the most embarrassing events in American history and 13 brave US soldiers being killed,” Leavitt wrote. “For this alone, Kamala does not deserve to be elected. Kamala has already proven that she would be a dangerously incompetent Commander in Chief.”
